Just to point out to novices, Apistogramma cacatuoides, A. agassizii, A. macmasteri, etc, are species NOT types. Aquarium strains of wild species, such as the A. cacatuoides (double red, I think) that is shown here are varieties or variants. There are a number of colour varieties, morphs or variants of A. agassizii in the hobby. A second tip I would give to novices is to use large tanks: the Apistogramma Study Group and the British Cichlid Association found many years ago that male Apistogramma hold large territories in the wild, and keeping them in small tanks led to increased levels of aggression towards tank mates and conspecifics. There is some variation between species, but bigger tanks with lots of hiding places for the females work better than small tanks. Keeping them in pairs is often a mistake; most apistos are polygynous, so it is better to keep them in trios, or, even better, as one male with three females. That way, the male will not focus his attention on just one female. Keeping other small, mid-water swimming fishes (dithers) with them has been shown to distract the male's aggression from the females; the male will endeavour to keep them away from his territory, giving the females some respite from his attentions. A key aspect of breeding apistos is conditioning the females. If the females are not in breeding condition and do not respond appropriately to the courtship of the male, then they will be attacked and, in confined quarters, most likely killed. The male's intent is to oust her from his territory in the hope that he can attract a ripe female who will reciprocate his courtship. This important factor is omitted from the video. Feeding live foods brings the females into condition quicker than feeding dry foods. Another key aspect not covered is the provision of the appropriate water parameters for the different species of Apistogrammas. Tap water was mentioned, but this is of little use in the US and Europe where there can be great disparity in water quality between different utilities and providers. Many households still use well water. The majority of Apistogramma species occur in soft, acidic waters. Some prefer blackwaters that are tea coloured. A lot of the tank bred varieties included in this presentation (such as A. cacatuoides) are not fussy as to water quality, nitrogenous excluded. Lowering the pH often leads to breeding success. Regarding aggression in Apistogramma agassizii, there is another variable to be considered here. This species has a very wide distribution in the wild and is found in many river basins and small streams. These populations are recognised by differences in colour patterns of the males. It is now thought that almost certainly, these geographical populations are incipient species. They have been isolated for so long that they no longer recognise other populations as being the same species behaviourally, ie they look very similar but they 'speak a different dialect'. The wider the separation, the greater the divergence. Aquarium strains have been derived from different geographical populations, and different batches are often mixed in dealers' tanks. Therefore, obtaining a compatible pair can often be a matter of good luck. Purchasing wild caught fish that have been collected from one area is recommended, rather than trying to match up fishes from different suppliers whose stock might have been derived from unrelated geographical ancestors. A common mistake made by newcomers to keeping dwarf cichlids is to keep them in dwarf tanks. This doesn't always work out for the best. However, I should mention that there are species of Apistogramma that can be kept in smallish tanks (75 x 30cm), eg, A. regani, where the males are quite small, but this species is not common due to its rather dull colouration. Apistogramma borellii can be kept in pairs but in a large tank with dither fish. They prefer cooler temperatures and tolerate some hardness in their water. Apistogramma species are often nervous and shy in aquaria and can take a long time to accept their new surroundings before settling in. Providing them with the right conditions is paramount to breeding success. Paedophagy, or fry eating, is not just restricted to dwarf cichlids but occurs in many other species of cichlids such as angelfish. This is often a sign that something is not going right for them and the parents (often the females) give up. Naivety in young females plays a part in this, as does the disturbance around the tank, and here the advice is to persevere, keep the partners well fed and try again.
This is great information, I have 4 Apisto Borelii's in my 29g tank they are on their own they are about 4 months old I have provided leaf litter bog live plants and coconut shells . Their temperature is at 24 and I'm concerned is that too low the water is really cold. The tank is not in a busy room. But I only see them at feeding time is that normal ? My water is soft oh is 4 my ph is 7.4 so I have to lower that yes? I love these fish and I want them to do well have you any advice you could offer please I just don't feel in my gut that they are happy when they dint know I'm watching they still don't come out from the plants and swim around 🤔 I'd really appreciate any advice . Tia.
@tinadoyle3803 Hi Tina, there is not anything that I can point to and say that it is wrong. Your pH is slightly higher than what is recommended, but ime this species is tolerant of a wide range of values. 24°C is not low for this species, in Argentina, they have been collected in alkaline water at 18°C during the southern hemisphere winter, so nothing wrong there. If they are not coming out, there must be something else that is not to their liking. Nitrate and nitrite are definitely two stressors they cannot tolerate. They appreciate weekly water changes, around 25%. At 24°C, there is a wide choice of small tetras and barbs that can be kept as dither fish. The smaller species of corydoras are ideal, being non aggressive, hardy and always busy doing their own thing. I am currently breeding 3 species of corydoras at 24°C. I hope these extra bits of advice help.
This is a very comprehensive review of the apistogrammas. Have you had any experience with the Hongsloi and the Borelli? It would be great to hear your thoughts. Thanks
Hey great vid may i add a couple things though Agazzii are true harem breeders the aggresion between male and female is real best to do bigger tank with los blocks and 3 f to 1 m ratio And to increase batch sizes o the macmasteri tanks lower the temp to 73-75 to iduce spawn then raise fry at no higher than 78 at least this has woked for me
hi iam getting a pair of apistogramma macmasteri but it was just labled macmasteri it has two red stripes on the top on bottom of the tail fin do you know what colour morph it is?
I like to keep Apistogramma and I like to keep 1 and a Blue Ram together in a 10g tank with rock and live plants can this be done i done have in thing in the tank can you help me with this
Hi Guys, I want keep Apisto for 1st time. And I am getting Apistogramma Agassizii. Is it ok !! Is Agassizii is tough to keep !! How many Male & Female I can keep only Apisto tank !! It's a 11 US gallon or 40 Ltr. tank.
I have a pair of macmasteri the males fully grown now and the female has bulked up too but he's never accepted her or shown any breeding signs I've had them 5+ months, I lost my Agazzi male and didnt want to leave the female alone so put her in with the macs and he's taken really well to her, any idea why he didn't take to the Mac female? Tank size is 15 gal heavily planted with caves
Apistos like humans are super picky when it comes to there mates they actually have to like them I currently have that issues with my black chin pair what I did was removed the female and put some spare females cacatuoides females on with him and then after a month put her back in and then he took to her
I have 2 10g tanks with 1 double red and other tripple apistos in them both have 2 females. Got plenty of caves, dither fish, water temp in around 79-80 and water is brackish. Feed the live foods, frozen blood worms, and put baby brinshrimp often. Can't seem to get them to breed yet.. any tips would be great..
Would be a great video if you talked about Parameters for each species.
Old vid but great stuff. Nice job man
Just to point out to novices, Apistogramma cacatuoides, A. agassizii, A. macmasteri, etc, are species NOT types. Aquarium strains of wild species, such as the A. cacatuoides (double red, I think) that is shown here are varieties or variants. There are a number of colour varieties, morphs or variants of A. agassizii in the hobby. A second tip I would give to novices is to use large tanks: the Apistogramma Study Group and the British Cichlid Association found many years ago that male Apistogramma hold large territories in the wild, and keeping them in small tanks led to increased levels of aggression towards tank mates and conspecifics. There is some variation between species, but bigger tanks with lots of hiding places for the females work better than small tanks.
Keeping them in pairs is often a mistake; most apistos are polygynous, so it is better to keep them in trios, or, even better, as one male with three females. That way, the male will not focus his attention on just one female. Keeping other small, mid-water swimming fishes (dithers) with them has been shown to distract the male's aggression from the females; the male will endeavour to keep them away from his territory, giving the females some respite from his attentions.
A key aspect of breeding apistos is conditioning the females. If the females are not in breeding condition and do not respond appropriately to the courtship of the male, then they will be attacked and, in confined quarters, most likely killed. The male's intent is to oust her from his territory in the hope that he can attract a ripe female who will reciprocate his courtship. This important factor is omitted from the video. Feeding live foods brings the females into condition quicker than feeding dry foods.
Another key aspect not covered is the provision of the appropriate water parameters for the different species of Apistogrammas. Tap water was mentioned, but this is of little use in the US and Europe where there can be great disparity in water quality between different utilities and providers. Many households still use well water. The majority of Apistogramma species occur in soft, acidic waters. Some prefer blackwaters that are tea coloured. A lot of the tank bred varieties included in this presentation (such as A. cacatuoides) are not fussy as to water quality, nitrogenous excluded. Lowering the pH often leads to breeding success.
Regarding aggression in Apistogramma agassizii, there is another variable to be considered here. This species has a very wide distribution in the wild and is found in many river basins and small streams. These populations are recognised by differences in colour patterns of the males. It is now thought that almost certainly, these geographical populations are incipient species. They have been isolated for so long that they no longer recognise other populations as being the same species behaviourally, ie they look very similar but they 'speak a different dialect'. The wider the separation, the greater the divergence. Aquarium strains have been derived from different geographical populations, and different batches are often mixed in dealers' tanks. Therefore, obtaining a compatible pair can often be a matter of good luck. Purchasing wild caught fish that have been collected from one area is recommended, rather than trying to match up fishes from different suppliers whose stock might have been derived from unrelated geographical ancestors.
A common mistake made by newcomers to keeping dwarf cichlids is to keep them in dwarf tanks. This doesn't always work out for the best. However, I should mention that there are species of Apistogramma that can be kept in smallish tanks (75 x 30cm), eg, A. regani, where the males are quite small, but this species is not common due to its rather dull colouration. Apistogramma borellii can be kept in pairs but in a large tank with dither fish. They prefer cooler temperatures and tolerate some hardness in their water.
Apistogramma species are often nervous and shy in aquaria and can take a long time to accept their new surroundings before settling in. Providing them with the right conditions is paramount to breeding success. Paedophagy, or fry eating, is not just restricted to dwarf cichlids but occurs in many other species of cichlids such as angelfish. This is often a sign that something is not going right for them and the parents (often the females) give up. Naivety in young females plays a part in this, as does the disturbance around the tank, and here the advice is to persevere, keep the partners well fed and try again.
This is great information, I have 4 Apisto Borelii's in my 29g tank they are on their own they are about 4 months old I have provided leaf litter bog live plants and coconut shells . Their temperature is at 24 and I'm concerned is that too low the water is really cold. The tank is not in a busy room. But I only see them at feeding time is that normal ? My water is soft oh is 4 my ph is 7.4 so I have to lower that yes? I love these fish and I want them to do well have you any advice you could offer please I just don't feel in my gut that they are happy when they dint know I'm watching they still don't come out from the plants and swim around 🤔 I'd really appreciate any advice . Tia.
Ps I have no dither because I don't know what fish could tolerate such low temperatures so again any advice please.
@tinadoyle3803 Hi Tina, there is not anything that I can point to and say that it is wrong. Your pH is slightly higher than what is recommended, but ime this species is tolerant of a wide range of values. 24°C is not low for this species, in Argentina, they have been collected in alkaline water at 18°C during the southern hemisphere winter, so nothing wrong there. If they are not coming out, there must be something else that is not to their liking. Nitrate and nitrite are definitely two stressors they cannot tolerate. They appreciate weekly water changes, around 25%. At 24°C, there is a wide choice of small tetras and barbs that can be kept as dither fish. The smaller species of corydoras are ideal, being non aggressive, hardy and always busy doing their own thing. I am currently breeding 3 species of corydoras at 24°C. I hope these extra bits of advice help.
This is a very comprehensive review of the apistogrammas. Have you had any experience with the Hongsloi and the Borelli? It would be great to hear your thoughts. Thanks
Great content keep up the good work
Nice cheers i like Apisto alot as well
Hey great vid may i add a couple things though
Agazzii are true harem breeders the aggresion between male and female is real best to do bigger tank with los blocks and 3 f to 1 m ratio
And to increase batch sizes o the macmasteri tanks lower the temp to 73-75 to iduce spawn then raise fry at no higher than 78 at least this has woked for me
Much appreciated I will certainly give these tips ago 😄
@@adamsaquatics7077 anytime also the blackchins are stunning!!!
what do you mean harem breeders
@@Tronex333 one male to multiple females
I just ordered a pair of apistogramma borellii opals! I’d like to get the cacatoides triple red next, great video mate🙂👍🏻
I'm waiting on some "opals" to grow up so I can buy them. How did it go with yours? Were you able to breed them? Thank you from Portland, Oregon 🌲!
How about dither fish with the Aggazzi pair i keep a few pairs and find the dithers work wonders.
Awesome video , how do you feel about panduros?
nice video keep up the great work
Thank you 😄
Are you still working with the black chin apistos?
Bought 6 young Apistograma Borelii can you you give me some information on them please. Ph temperature etc .thanks.
What dither fish would be best ?
The Bolivian ram is right for me!
hi iam getting a pair of apistogramma macmasteri but it was just labled macmasteri it has two red stripes on the top on bottom of the tail fin do you know what colour morph it is?
I like to keep Apistogramma and I like to keep 1 and a Blue Ram together in a 10g tank with rock and live plants can this be done i done have in thing in the tank can you help me with this
Hi Guys,
I want keep Apisto for 1st time. And I am getting Apistogramma Agassizii.
Is it ok !! Is Agassizii is tough to keep !!
How many Male & Female I can keep only Apisto tank !!
It's a 11 US gallon or 40 Ltr. tank.
What are the first pair you showed called? Did you ever tell us?
The very first pair is apisto cacatuoides. He did say it.
I have a pair of macmasteri the males fully grown now and the female has bulked up too but he's never accepted her or shown any breeding signs I've had them 5+ months, I lost my Agazzi male and didnt want to leave the female alone so put her in with the macs and he's taken really well to her, any idea why he didn't take to the Mac female? Tank size is 15 gal heavily planted with caves
Apistos like humans are super picky when it comes to there mates they actually have to like them I currently have that issues with my black chin pair what I did was removed the female and put some spare females cacatuoides females on with him and then after a month put her back in and then he took to her
@@adamsaquatics7077 thanks for your reply I will bare this in mind
I have 2 10g tanks with 1 double red and other tripple apistos in them both have 2 females. Got plenty of caves, dither fish, water temp in around 79-80 and water is brackish. Feed the live foods, frozen blood worms, and put baby brinshrimp often. Can't seem to get them to breed yet.. any tips would be great..
Apistos arnt really brackish fish they like soft acidic water so that maybe your issue there. Other then that how long have they been together?
I hear reverse osmosis with ph of 5.5 works best